What do you do with...

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

CWS4322

Chef Extraordinaire
Joined
Jan 2, 2011
Messages
13,420
Location
Rural Ottawa, Ontario
Drove the DH to the airport yesterday. I don't get over that way often...on my way home, I noticed an Asian grocery store (T&T Supermarket). Well, I happened to be out of srirachi sauce and sesame oil. Of course I ended up with some other things...

What do you do with...

Dried Shrimp (I know someone -- AndyM maybe -- posted about using those)
Dried Kelp
Basic black seeds (I "think" they are onion seeds)
Extra firm tofu

I almost picked up those shrimp crackers Snip posted about, but resisted. And, I resisted getting fresh whole squid (the fish/seafood counter is to die for--they even have tanks of live fish swimming around)--I don't have time to clean squid or fish, maybe when I get done with this project. And, FRESH LIVE CRAB!!!!!! and Lobster (Rock--this place is on Hunt Club and Riverside--and they had fresh duck for around $14-16). Too bad the DH's flight gets in at 12:45 a.m. But I now know where to go for fresh fish and seafood.
 
Last edited:
I use dried shrimp in my pad thai recipe. It's posted here if you are interested.

EF Tofu can be used in any number of recipes. I use it in hot and sour soup. You can also marinate and pan fry it.
 
"Basic black seeds" are more than likely kalonji/nigella. They're used quite a bit in Indian cooking. Sometimes they are also just used more decoratively - for example, you occasionally see them sprinkled on naan bread.

Dried kelp I bought once. I really don't care for the flavor myself. It's a good source of iodine, so many people just add it to other foods. I've read you can also steam it as a side dish, although I can't imagine eating it like that.
 
You might add the dried shrimp to a Gumbo.

For the tofu - one of my favorite dishes is an eggplant tofu stir-fry (w/ peanut sauce). This could be a starting point:

Stir-fried Eggplant and Tofu Recipe | MyRecipes.com

We have an Asian market (w/ live seafood) here called 99. I will have to make another trip there soon.
 
Perfect, Cerise! I have an eggplant that needs to be eaten! And all the other ingredients as well! Guess what I'm making tonight!
 
Last edited:
I have a recipe for Thai papaya salad that includes dried shrimp and I've had tofu in miso soup and stir-fries. I have no experience with the other ingredients.
 
shred and add the dried kelp to eggdrop soup,. it's delicious and healthy.

as andy mentioned, the dried shrimp are good in a pad thai like noodle dish, topped with a squirt or two of sriracha and some black sesame.

they're also good in thai veggie soup along with the tofu.

how about kimbap (aka gimbap). steamed rice and usually some other ingredient like tuna folded into the sheets of dried kelp.

yum, now i want korean food.
 
"Basic black seeds" are more than likely kalonji/nigella. They're used quite a bit in Indian cooking. Sometimes they are also just used more decoratively - for example, you occasionally see them sprinkled on naan bread.

Dried kelp I bought once. I really don't care for the flavor myself. It's a good source of iodine, so many people just add it to other foods. I've read you can also steam it as a side dish, although I can't imagine eating it like that.
I find the kelp "chips" somewhat salty. In the Maritimes, Dulse is sold as if it were potato chips. I don't mind the taste. Although, I think it is probably like Scotch, an acquired taste ;).

I ate a two or three "kelp chips" last night. I'm thinking of grinding some of them into powder and adding the powder to soups and things.

I've seen the seeds used on an Indian cooking show I watch. I think they are onion seeds (or onion seeds can be substituted for them). I will ping my friend who is married to a guy from Bombay and ask how she uses them (and check my Indian cookbooks) now that I have another name for them. Thanks, Steve.

It is so much fun going in an ethnic food store! At least this store had the information in English and ... I think Chinese. They have an amazing array of prepared foods...and a Dim Sum takeout counter.
 
if the kelp isn't large enough to roll or fold, grind it into flakes, add dried bonito flakes (or grind some of your dried shrimp), add black and white sesame seeds, sugar, and salt to taste ro make furikake; a topping to be sprinkled onto sticky rice.

i like to add hot peeper flakes to mine as well to give it some kick.
 
I wanted to show you the 99 Ranch Market. It's similar to the one I went to, except the fish tanks were huge. The frozen crab legs were humungous. I remember a couple trying to squeeze a live crab into a plastic baggy. :LOL: I bought the scallion pancakes for the bbq'd duck. Delish! Anyhoo,, here's a look at the 99 Market (& the cute Asian girls. LOL)

99 Things About The 99 Ranch - YouTube
 
that lloks a lot like a chain of korean markets here called han ah reum. they've also started a group of department stores called h marts. i doubt k mart is very happy about it.

oh, btw, chinese garlic and shark fin soup? no thanks. those are reasons enough not to shop there, imo.
 
that lloks a lot like a chain of korean markets here called han ah reum. they've also started a group of department stores called h marts. i doubt k mart is very happy about it.

oh, btw, chinese garlic and shark fin soup? no thanks. those are reasons enough not to shop there, imo.
I only bought stuff not from China. I really wanted to buy some of the dried mushrooms, but they were all products of China. The dried shrimp are from Korea, the frozen lemongrass from Vietnam, etc. The kelp chips are from Korea. I put a lot of stuff back on the shelf that was from China.
 
We have an H Mart about 20 miles from here. It's a giant supermarket that has everything Korean and tons of stuff from other Asian cuisines as well. Run your cursor over the categories in the store gallery section for a series of photos.

Hmart.com: Online Shopping for Asian Grocery, Korean Kimchi, Rice Cookers, Appliances & more at everyday low prices.

It's an amazing place to shop. They also have a food court with various Asian stalls and a bakery. There is an entire department devoted to kim chee. They have animal parts you wouldn't expect to see in a modern market. And some of the best prices for meats. It's the only place around here where I've seen head on shrimp.
 
thanks, andy. i thought it was more of a department store, not a supermarket since it's fairly close to their original supermarkets.

but yes, amazing stuff.
 
that lloks a lot like a chain of korean markets here called han ah reum. they've also started a group of department stores called h marts. i doubt k mart is very happy about it.

oh, btw, chinese garlic and shark fin soup? no thanks. those are reasons enough not to shop there, imo.


H Marts are food stores, not department stores. Owned Im pretty sure by the Han ah Rheum people.

We finally got one here and its a mob scene on weekends.

My favorite one is still the Han ah Rheum at the rotary in Little Ferry. That one has the department store attached.
 
I only bought stuff not from China. I really wanted to buy some of the dried mushrooms, but they were all products of China. The dried shrimp are from Korea, the frozen lemongrass from Vietnam, etc. The kelp chips are from Korea. I put a lot of stuff back on the shelf that was from China.

I wanted to ask, is there a problem with food from China, or peeled garlic from China, or shark fin soup (ok it is in a box). Have you tried it?

Why poop on a members' shared favorite?

The place I go to is not connected to a Mall. I've gone to other small Asian markets, but they don't have huge tanks of fish/seafood, & don't compare to 99 in the vast selection of food.

Andy, I don't think I would travel 20 miles, or buy dried food online.
 
We have an H Mart about 20 miles from here. It's a giant supermarket that has everything Korean and tons of stuff from other Asian cuisines as well. Run your cursor over the categories in the store gallery section for a series of photos.

Hmart.com: Online Shopping for Asian Grocery, Korean Kimchi, Rice Cookers, Appliances & more at everyday low prices.

It's an amazing place to shop. They also have a food court with various Asian stalls and a bakery. There is an entire department devoted to kim chee. They have animal parts you wouldn't expect to see in a modern market. And some of the best prices for meats. It's the only place around here where I've seen head on shrimp.

What a difference in the taste of shrimp with and without the heads. I prefer the heads on. :wacko: Once I get past the eyes staring at me. Yet the lobsters eyes don't bother me at all. Maybe because I have seen them since childhood. :angel:
 
Back
Top Bottom